1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to retainers or clamps and more particularly to devices for retaining sheets of material in fixed relationship relative to the retainer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly used retainers for securing sheets of material include the well known paper clip and the staple. While those devices provide an inexpensive means of holding two or more pieces of sheet material together, they each have some inherent undesirable qualities. For example, the staple destroys the integrity of the sheet by piercing a hole through the sheet and therefore is undesirable in some applications. Further, special tools are required for removing the staples in order to avoid destruction or mutilation of the sheets.
Undesirable qualities of the paper clip include the loss of memory of the clip over time, especially if the clip is made of plastic. Also, the clips generally have a single function, that is the retaining of the sheets, and cannot be used for any additional function such as carrying indicia markings or providing for attachment of the clip to a surface.